Whiffletree-coupl ing



Patented Apr. ",1899.

(No Model.)

llrrr rares JOHN l/V. NEAL, OF CIFAX, VIRGINIA.

NHlFFLETREECOUPLll\lG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,705, dated Aprill1, 1899. Application filed April 18,1898. Serial No. 678,057.V (Nomodel.)

`lings and to provide a strong and durable one adapted to prevent thesingletrees from dropping upon the heels of horses and frightening4 themand capable of swinging upward above a horizontal position to afford astraight draft when the horses of a vehicle start uphill after crossinga gully or other depression.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivecoupling adapted to sustain the weight of a person on the singletreesand to withstand all the strain incideut to drawing a vehicle.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

I n the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a doubletree andsingletrees provided with whillietree-couplings constructed inaccordance with this invention. Fig. 2 isasectional View on line 2 2 ofFig. l. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view.

Like numerals of reference designate correspondingpartsin all thefigures of the drawings.

l and 2 designate staples extending forward from a doubletree 2a andrearward from a singletree 3 and arranged in horizontal planes, thestaple of the sin gletree being arranged above that of the doubletree,as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. Eachl end of thedoubletree is provided with a coup ling, and the staples of eachcoupling are connected by a half-staple 4, arranged on the upper face ofthe doubletree and extending downward through the overlapping portionsof the staples l and 2 and provided at the lower end of the dependingportion with a forwardly-extendin g arm 5, arranged beneath the frontend of the staple l, whereby the latter and the half-staple are lirmlyinterlocked to prevent anystrain exerted on the singletree from pullingthe half-staple out of the staple l and disconnecting the whiliietrees.

The Shanks of the staples l and 2 are passed through perforations of thedoubletree and the singletree and are connected by plates VG and 7,arranged,respectively,on therear edge of the doubletree and the frontedge of the singletree and effectually preventing the sides or shanks ofthe staples from pulling out. The half-staple has its side orshankarranged on the upper face of the doubletree, and itis secured to thesaine by a bolt S or other suitable fastening device, which .passesthrough the doubletree at a point between the .sides of the horizontalstaple l.

The eye formed by the projecting portion of the staple 2 engages thehalf-staple, and

the lower portion of the rear edge of the singletree abuts against theprojecting portion or eye formed by the staple l, whereby the singletreeis supported in a horizontal position and is prevented from droppingupon the heels of horses and frightening the lat ter. By extending 'thearm 5 of the halt'n staple beneath the front of the eye of the staple 1the singletree is adapted to sustain the weight of a person withoutliability of'bending the half-staple upward out of engagement with thehorizontal staple l.

The singletrees are provided at their ends with staples 9, having plates10, similar to the plates G and 7 of the staples l and 2, and thestaples 9 are linked into eyes of whiiiietree-hooks ll; but any othersuitable 'fastening device may be employed for connecting the traceswith the singletrees.

The doubletree is provided near its ends with shackles l2, pivoted bybolts 13 and conu nected with stay-chains la, which limit the swing ofthe doubletree.

The invention has the following advan.n

ple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, possesses greatstrength and d ura bility and is adapted to support the singlen treesand prevent them from dropping below a horizontal position, and therebykeep them oft' the heels of the horses to avoid frightening the latteror otherwise annoying them. The singletrees are permitted to swing up-IOO Ward above a horizontal position to afford a straight draft when thehorses are pulling upward, and they are adapted to sustain the Weight ofa person. The half-staples are firmly inter-locked with the staples ofthe doubletree, so that they cannot become disengaged from the same byany strain exerted on the singletrees.

What I' clairn iss-,-

In a device of the class described, the combination With a doubletree,and a singletree, of eyes projecting respectively from the front edge ofthe doubletree and the rear edge of the singletree and overlapping, theeye of the singletree being located above that of the doubletree, andthe half-staple secured to the upper face of the doubletree andextending` downward through the overlapped portions of the eyes andprovided at its lower end with a forwardly-extending arm engaging thefront of the eye of the doubletree at the bottom thereof to prevent thehalf-staple from being pulled out of such eye and also to support thesingletree, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as -my oWn I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN W. NEAL. Witnesses:

HENRY THOMSON, C. W. COOKE.

